Android Kikaider
is a tokusatsu superhero TV series, and the first to feature the superhero Kikaider. Created by mangaka Shotaro Ishinomori, the show was produced by Toei Company Ltd., and was broadcast on NET (now TV Asahi) from July 8, 1972 to May 5, 1973, with a total of 43 episodes. Story Dr. Komyoji is a scientist and an expert in robotics, who is being kept prisoner by the evil organization, DARK. Dr. Komyoji creates Kikaider in order to defeat Dark and protect the innocent. When Gill, the head of DARK, learns about this, he sends his androids to deal with Dr. Komyoji. Jiro (Kikaider) is able to rescue Dr. Komyoji's daughter, Mitsuko, but a fire separates him from Dr. Komyoji. Jiro is able to destroy Gray Rhino King, but is unable to locate Dr. Komyoji, who is wandering away with amnesia. The series mainly deals with the constant battle between Kikaider and the destructroids. DARK pursues Dr. Komyoji and his children, Mitsuko and Masuru. Hatori Hanpei, a detective who provides comedy relief, helps them. During most battles, Professor Gill uses his evil flute to stop Jiro from becoming Kikaider. Jiro manages to find a way to drown out or block the sound of the flute. Dr. Komyoji (wandering with amnesia) is usually a figure in the background. Mitsuko and Masuru often talk to people who have encountered him, but never manage to catch up with him. On a few occasions, when Jiro is damaged, Dr. Komyoji manages to fix him, without quite knowing what he is doing. Later in the series, Jiro is nearly overcome by Professor Gill's flute, and he attacks Dr. Komyoji. DARK captures Dr. Komyoji and makes it seem that Jiro killed him. Jiro is overcome with guilt and unable to speak, there unable to defend himself. He is arrested by the police and they find out his true nature so they decide to have scientists dismember him in human form despite objections from Mitsuko, Masaru and Hanpei. Jiro manages to escape from the police by knocking them and the scientists unconscious and bending steel bars. As he is escaping a new character appears, Hakaider. DARK forced Dr. Komyoji to build him and place his own brain in the machine, under control of an evil circuit, the opposite of Kikaider's conscience circuit. Kikaider fights the robot and while doing pretty well loses due to Hakaiders bike being of better quality than the Side Machine and is almost destroyed, when Hakaider suddenly leaves due to needing blood infusions with Komyoji. When Jiro finds out that Dr. Komyoji's brain is in Hakaider's body, he realizes that he will not be able to fight Hakaider. Mitsuko, Masaru and Hanpei wonder what has happened to Jiro when they see a leather-clad man walking down the side of the building. This man is actually an cyborg, Saburo/Haikaider. He says that he is the creation of Dr. Komyoji, and lies that he was created in case Jiro were to go berserk so that he may destroy him. Masaru allies himself with Saburo due seeing him as a replacement brother figure to Jiro. Masaru then tries to get revenge on Jiro due to him thinking Jiro really did kill his father despite Jiro trying to tell him otherwise. Jiro is also wanted by the police due them also thinking Jiro murdered Komyoji and also tried to murder a little girl despite the reason being him controlled by Gills flute for a moment. Out of sight of Mitsuko and Masaru, Saburo reveals that he is actually Hakaider to Jiro. He and Masaru pursue Jiro but Masaru eventually opens his eyes and realizes Jiro is still good when he surrenders. The DARK androids later capture Dr. Komyoji's children while Jiro faces Red Mine Toad. Red Mine Toad destroys Kikaider, using a mine that is built into his body that is set to explode when something touches him which Jiro didn`t know at the time. Hatori collects the pieces of Kikaider's body and runs while Haikaider as Saburo cuts the cord Red Mine Toad has set to explode his opponents so as to be able to touch him without the risk of getting blown up. He destroys Red Mine Toad for destroying Jiro therefore making him lose his purpose in life. Hakaider then goes crazy due to him both realizing the emptiness of his purpose and for killing his own team member making him but a killing machine. Hatori has found Mitsuko and Masaru and gives them the pieces of Kikaider. Hakaider confronts Hanpei and shows his true insanity by questioning him about his (Haikaiders) life and states that he wants revenge on Gill for creating him in the first place as Hanpei directs his attention to Gills base. Hakaider then goes to kill Gill while Mitsuko connects Kikaiders head to his torso for him to talk and give instructions on how to repair his body. Gill convinces Hakaider to kill Dr. Komyoji, instead of attacking DARK. Hakaider locates Dr. Komyoji's body, and finds the partially reassembled Kikaider. Hakaider refuses to fight a helpless enemy, and allows Mitsuko to finish reassembling him. A rebuilt Jiro fights Hakaider as Saburo so he can retrieve Komyoji`s brain. While fighting Saburo Jiro realizes that his change circuit is still broken as Saburo transforms into Haikaider. Jiro is unable to change to Kikaider, but he decides to lure Hakaider away to protect Dr. Komyoji and Komyoji's children. Professor Gill sends White Bone Flying Squirrel against Hakaider, and Hakaider loses the battle. Jiro gives the body of Hakaider to Mitsuko, who puts Dr. Komyoji's brain back into his body. Dr. Komyoji recovers, and is able to fix Jiro's change circuit. The Komyoji family are captured by DARK, but are rescued by Kikaider. Kikader destroys White Bone Flying Squirrel, and Prof. Gill, rather than be captured, destroys himself and the DARK base. Dr. Komyoji leaves Japan, and takes his family with him. Jiro decides to stay in Japan to improve himself as a human and to become a better superhero. Characters Allies *Dr. Komyoji *Mitsuko Komyoji *Masaru Komyoji *Hanpei Hattori DARK *Professor Gill *List of Destructoids Episodes # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # Movie was a 33-minute theatrical 3-D episode, was released on March 17, 1973. It was titled The Kikaida 3D Movie in Hawaii. Professor Gill has created a machine that lets him restore destroyed robots. This machine is used to recreate all of the destructroids that had been destroyed by Kikaider. Kikaider is forced to destroy them all once again. Cast * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : Stunts *Jiro/Dark Robot (ep 32): Kenji Ohba (as Kenji Takahashi) *Kikaider: Toshiaki Kikuchi *Dark Robot: Ko Hayami, Yukio Mihashi, Kimisa Utsonomiya (ep 31) *Dark Robot (trampoline) (ep 33): Tatsumi Nikamoto *Hakaider: Tetsuo Masuda, Kazuo Mishima (ep 34) DVD Release A 9 volume Region 1 DVD box set was released by Generation Kikaida and JN Productions in Hawaii for the US.http://www.generationkikaida.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=55 Notes *Before the production, Kikaider was tentatively titled . References Category:Content